CARSON, Calif. – Jose Villarreal’s three-year tenure with the LA Galaxy has been filled with promise and flashes of brilliance, but the time is now for the 21-year-old forward to make his mark with the club.
Following a stop-start 2014 that saw the forward endure a failed loan to Liga MX giant Cruz Azul, expectations are high for Villarreal as the Galaxy enter the upcoming season.
The 21-year-old showed a glimpse of what he could bring during the club’s final preseason match last Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes when he provided an immediate impact off the bench and scored a second half goal that sparked an LA rally that fell just short. With forwards like Robbie Keane, Alan Gordon, and Gyasi Zardes ahead of him on the depth chart, Villarreal’s cameo against the Earthquakes provided a sneak peek at the “super sub” role that the striker will look to fill this season.
“It was good. That’s all that I’ve been trying to do since I got here, and it’s very clear what Bruce wants from me,” Villarreal said after the Galaxy’s 3-2 preseason defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday. “If he wants me to be that spark off the bench then that’s what I’ll do. I was happy to get a goal and bring a bit of energy off the bench.”
Making an impact off the bench could provide a route back to regular minutes for a player who was considered one of the hottest prospects in American soccer just a year ago.
In early 2014, Villarreal had not only secured a season-long loan deal to Cruz Azul, but had also recently starred for the U.S. Under-20 squad during the 2013 U-20 World Cup. Soon the dream turned into a nightmare, as he found himself sitting on the bench for Cruz Azul and their lower league affiliate Cruz Azul Hidalgo. Once the Liga MX side folded their affiliate, Villarreal returned to the Galaxy, splitting time between the first team and Galaxy II, making just five appearances in MLS regular season play.
It appears that the youngster has regained some of that swagger with two goals this preseason. However, the Galaxy believe much will depend on how the 21-year-old approaches his new role with the club.
“We think that Jose is a player with a lot of talent. If he has the right attitude then he can continue to grow as a player and be a good player,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “We’re hopeful that he’s going to move forward this year and be more of a presence with our first team.
Keane, who has long served as a mentor for the Galaxy Homegrown Player, reiterated Arena’s comments saying that there will be no more excuses made for young players like Villarreal or Bradford Jamieson IV.
“This is the time for the younger players to step up. They have to step up this year. There are no more excuses anymore for [Jamieson] or Jose,” Keane said. “To be fair to Jose, he always comes in and is always a threat and tries to make things happen because he’s very clever. This is going to be a big year for Jose. He’ll get more opportunities this year than he did in previous years so it’s important that he takes them.”
Where Villarreal and Jamieson could find themselves pitted against one another is along the Galaxy’s left side of midfield where a clear first choice has yet to emerge. Jamieson earned the start against the Earthquakes but after an uneven 63 minutes, he was replaced by Villarreal.
Even though the Galaxy seem to have Villarreal pegged as role player off the bench at the moment, the self-assured kid from Inglewood says that he’s working to make that spot on the left side of midfield his own.
“That’s what everyone is striving for to get a starting spot,” Villarreal said. “If it means that I’ll play left mid then I’ll play left mid, but if not then I’ll be a sparkplug off the bench.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
